


You gonna dance with me?

by sternchencas



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dean Winchester in a Wheelchair, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 13:50:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15511248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sternchencas/pseuds/sternchencas
Summary: On Dean and Cas' anniversary, they have dinner with Sam and Eileen. Cas tells Eileen the story of how he and Dean met and eventually fell for each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [caswatchesoveryou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/caswatchesoveryou/gifts).



> This is a birthday present for the wonderful [Heikü](http://cas-watches-over-you.tumblr.com) who deserves all the good things in the world. The story is inspired by her wonderful art, which you can find [here](http://cas-watches-over-you.tumblr.com/post/172253628840/deanwill-you-marry-me-oh-hell-yeah-i-drew).

“You can’t possibly want to have dessert after what you just ate,” Sam says, but Dean shrugs.

“It’s pie. There is always room for pie.”

“You should watch your cholesterol.”

“Um, I do,” Dean quips, “I watch it go up.”

Sam rolls his eyes and proceeds to carry some of the dirty dishes into the kitchen with Eileen following. Dean looks over to Cas and raises his eyebrows, a little worried that he might think the same. “You don’t think I eat too much, right?”

“You have to decide for yourself what and how much you eat,” Cas says, and puts down his glass before leaning over to Dean to pat his stomach with a smile. “Besides, I love your pudge.”

“I don’t have a pudge,” Dean protests.

Cas sighs, but then he sneaks his hand under Dean’s shirt and pets his tummy. “Then I love whatever you call this. Good?”

“Good,” Dean confirms and uses their proximity to steal a kiss from Cas. They only part when Sam and Eileen come back. Sam puts the pie down in front of Dean, who immediately starts cutting it into pieces and Eileen turns to Cas. “Sam keeps telling me nonsense stories about how you two met. I think it’s time that I hear the real one.”

“Oh, but that’s so embarrassing for him,” Dean butts in. “It was pissing buckets, and I was just sitting there, minding my own business, when this genius comes along-”

Cas puts a hand on Dean’s arm and shakes his head. “Why don’t you eat your pie and let me do the talking?”

“Why?”

“Because you always tell it wrong,” Cas says.

Dean is about to put a piece of pie on his plate but stops in mid-air. “What? What’s wrong with it?”

“Pissing buckets?” 

“Nothing wrong with a little descriptive imagery.”

Cas opens his mouth, probably for another snappy comment, but Sam is faster. “Guys, cut it out or I will tell it.”

“No, Cas should tell it,” Dean huffs, and finally puts down the pie to immediately shovel a fork full in his mouth, showing that he won’t be able to talk.

“Alright,” Cas leans back in his chair. “Technically, Dean wasn’t wrong. The day we met, it was pissing buckets…”


	2. Chapter 2

Castiel hurries down the street in the rain and does his best not to poke people's eyes out with his umbrella, which makes him one of the few people who care. Most of the other pedestrian march on like they’re alone on the street, and earn nasty comments, mainly from the people who hold bags or newspapers over their heads while some mummified figures in hoodies do their best to get past them without being involved in the conflict. It’s not like any of them stay dry though. It’s raining like hell, and every pothole is already full to the brim with water. Castiel is jumping puddles, but when a pregnant woman comes his way, he sidesteps her and his foot lands in the oncoming water right before the storm drain. With a sigh, Castiel gets back onto the sidewalk, and from the corner of his eye, he sees someone who has it even worse. 

The homeless man is sitting in a wheelchair with a jacket draped over himself and a cup between his legs, but everybody rushes past him like he’s not even there. Castiel reaches into the pocket of his trenchcoat where he put the change this morning after getting coffee and walks over to the man to put one of the bills in his cup. The second he drops it, he knows that something is wrong. The bill doesn’t land on other bills or even coins but drowns in steaming coffee.

The man in the wheelchair lifts his jacket to look up at Castiel. He has green eyes, a sea of freckles on his cheeks and nose, and short, well-kept hair. In his hand, he holds a smartphone. Castiel can tell it’s a new model and it’s in way better condition than his own. The man’s clothes are not frayed in the slightest and emit the nice smell of clean laundry and a hint of pine, probably from the man’s perfume. All in all, he looks nothing like a homeless person. “Dude, what the hell?”

“Oh my god, I am so sorry,” Castiel stumbles, “I saw you sitting there with the cup, and-”

The man puts his phone in the breast pocket of his plaid and lets his jacket rest on his shoulders. “And what? I was just trying to get out of the rain. You see a cup and think I’m a hobo? You must be a delight at parties.”

Castiel’s insides turn, and he wishes he could disappear. “I didn’t look close enough, and I swear, I just wanted to help. I’ll reimburse you for the coffee of course.”

“Yeah, you better,” the man says when he lifts up the cup from between his legs. He leans over one side of his wheelchair and carefully tips the cup, and the coffee mingles with the water on the street. When the coffee is almost gone, the man reaches into the cup to fish out the bill, and after studying it up close, he eyes Castiel with raised brows. “A twenty? Seriously?”

“That’s what I had at hand,” Castiel explains, and he still can’t grasp how he could be such an idiot. “Again, I am so sorry; I didn’t mean to imply anything.”

“Who gives a hobo a twenty? You rich or something?” the man asks while handing Castiel the still dripping bill with two fingers.

“I’m a tax accountant,” Castiel says, and the man watches him with big eyes when Castiel just takes the soaked bill and puts it back in his pocket without pause. Only then does he realize what he did, but it’s too late, so he leaves it there.

“You’re weird, man,” the man says, and shaking his head, he’s about to push himself away, but Castiel stops him.

“Please, let me buy you that coffee,” he begs, hoping that this will make him feel a little better.

The man shrugs. “Yeah, alright.”

He takes off along the street, and Castiel follows him and holds his umbrella out over him. The stranger looks up and eyes the umbrella, but doesn’t say anything. The other pedestrians make way for them, and the stranger leads Castiel past two different coffee places before opening the door to the third one, a tiny diner that Castiel never recognized as such, although he comes past here at least twice a day. A young, tall waiter walks past them and gives the man a questioning look. “Dean? Didn’t you get your coffee already?”

Dean makes a face, probably because he didn’t mean to reveal his name to Castiel, but then he smiles at the waiter. “What can I say? I can’t get enough of you and your coffee.”

The waiter grins and walks over to one of the tables and pushes two chairs into a corner to make room for Dean. “I’ll be with you in a second.”

Dean pushes himself to the table, and Castiel sits down opposite him, feeling even more awkward. He thought about buying Dean a new coffee and walking away, not sitting down with him, especially in a place where Dean is a regular and people might wonder who the weirdo with him is. “So, tax accountant,” Dean says, interrupting Castiel’s thoughts. “That sounds boring.”

“It is,” Castiel admits, but then he thinks about his work situation. “Well, usually, it is. I work for my brother, who owns three night clubs.”

Dean raises his brows. “Yeah? Which ones?”

Castiel wonders why he even brought it up, but now it seems foolish not to answer. “Bunny Palace, Honey Heaven, and the Dream Cave.”

“Seriously? I’ve been to them all. But your accommodations suck,” Dean says, tapping the wheelchair, and thinking about the clubs, Castiel understands why. There are steps everywhere, and it must be hard to get around.

“I, um, I could tell him that,” Castiel offers.

There’s a smile playing around Dean’s lips, and Castiel has a feeling that he means to tease him, but then the waiter comes by. Castiel reads the name ‘Garth’ from his name tag while Dean gives his order. “Largest coffee you can make, black. And a nice slice of cherry pie.”

Garth doesn’t write anything down and turns to Castiel. “And what can I get you?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

Garth gives him a weird look but walks away, and Dean copies his expression. “You hand out twenties to hobos but can’t buy a coffee in a diner?”

“I don’t need any nutrition right now.”

Dean stares at Castiel like he suddenly grew wings, but then he runs his hands over his face as if he needs to wipe the slate clean. “I forgot to ask your name.”

“Castiel, but my friends call me Cas.”

“Cas, alright,” Dean says it like he doubts that Castiel has any friends, and starts playing with his fork. 

They stay quiet until Garth comes back. He gives Castiel another look, but the thought of ordering something now and let him come back petrifies Castiel more than not ordering anything at all. Dean puts sugar in his coffee and watches Castiel over the table. “I’m all set, so if you want to leave…”

Castiel wishes he could, but he still feels so bad about what he did. “I just want to apologize again. I should never have presumed something just because you’re in a wheelchair. I swear, I try not to be ableist, but-”

Dean holds up his hand to stop him. “Dude, you gotta chill. So you made a mistake, big deal. You made up for it. Just, do what Elsa does, let it go.”

“I don’t understand that reference,” Castiel says, trying to figure out who Elsa is.

“Frozen? The two sisters and that little snow-” Dean waves it away and takes his pie apart instead. “Whatever. We’re good in my book. Okay?”

“Okay,” Castiel forces out and Dean purses his lips, making little dimples appear.

“It still bothers you, doesn’t it?”

“Yes,” Castiel admits.

Dean sighs and turns to the counter. “Hey Garth, can I borrow some paper?”

Garth comes over and hands Dean his pad and a small pencil. Dean scribbles something down and rips out the first page before handing it back to Garth. “Thank you. You’re the best.”

“No problem,” he says, and pats Dean’s head before walking away. It makes Castiel wonder if Garth and Dean only know each other as waiter and customer, but before he can come to a conclusion, Dean pushes the paper over to him.

“If you really want to make it up to me, you can meet me there tomorrow at 5.”

Castiel studies the paper. Dean wrote down ‘Dance Palace of Oz’ and an address. “What is it?” 

Dean wolfs down a bit of his pie before answering, “Okay, here’s the deal. My brother gets married in five months, and while everybody is happy that I’m the best man, they also think that I can’t dance, so I looked around for lessons and found Charlie’s place. I’m okay on my own and I’m good at dancing with others in a wheelchair, but I don’t have an abled person to practice with me which sucks since that’s the whole purpose of the lessons.”

“You want me to dance with you?” Castiel can’t help the horror in his voice, and it must show on his face as well because Dean shrugs and turns back to his pie.

“Forget it. You’re paying for this, so that’s enough. We’re cool.”

“No, Dean,” Castiel hurries to explain his reservations, “it’s not that I don’t want to, but I can’t dance at all. I wouldn’t be of any help to you.”

Dean takes a sip from his coffee and watches Castiel like he needs to check for bullshit. “It’s a dance lesson. The whole point is that you learn what you can’t do. But that’s your call.”

Castiel can’t argue with that, so he puts the note in his pocket, making sure it’s not the one with the wet bill and nods. “Okay, then I’ll try to be there.”

It’s going to be a tight fit since he’s usually working till 5, but since Gabriel doesn’t check his attendance, he should be able to leave earlier and make it to the lesson. It’s definitely worth the smile Dean gives him now. “Awesome. Now about the ‘Honey Heaven’... the bouncer refused to let me in last time. Can you hook me up?”


	3. Chapter 3

The only reason for taking the dance lessons was to show people that Dean can do whatever the hell he wants, legs working or not, but it only took one lesson for him to see that it’s just plain fun. He also found a good friend in his teacher, Charlie, and they’re swirling around to the music when the door to the dance studio opens, and a man in a trenchcoat stumbles in. Charlie looks him over and gestures to the door. “I’m sorry, standard dances are two doors down on the right.”

Dean should tell her who the man is, but he just stares at Cas. He never thought that he would come. Cas’ eyes travel from Charlie to Dean and back. “No, I’m in the right place. I’m here for Dean.”

“He agreed to practice with me for the wedding,” Dean finally manages to say, and Cas steps closer. “Charlie, that’s Castiel. Castiel, Charlie.”

Castiel holds out his hand with a smile. “You can call me Cas.”

“Hi, Cas.” Charlie shakes his hand, beaming with excitement. “That’s so great, Dean. Let me tell the others what to do, and then I’ll get back to the two of you.”

She heads over to the other dancers, and Dean nods to a table in the corner. “You can put your coat there. Might get a little hot if you keep those layers on.”

“Oh, sure.” Cas steps over to the table and doesn’t only shed the coat but his suit jacket as well. The result leaves Dean staring again. The bulky coat did a good job hiding how Cas’ pants hug his thighs, and the buttons on his dress shirt sure have to work to keep the fabric in place. Cas might not be a dancer, but he sure looks the part.

Cas walks over to Dean, visibly nervous, and clears his throat. “Dean, before we start, I need to ask you something.”

“Shoot.”

“I’ve never interacted with somebody in a wheelchair before,” Cas says, and Dean can see how much he struggles to find the right words. “After what I did, I really don’t want to mess up again, so could you just tell me what to do?”

It’s a little exhausting to explain socially acceptable interactions to everyone Dean meets, but at least Cas asks and cares not to mess up. “It’s pretty easy. Just treat me like any other person.”

“Okay,” Cas says, but it comes out like a question, so Dean clarifies what he means.

“Dude, I’ve been in a wheelchair for five years, and I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, provided the surroundings don’t suck,” Dean explains. “And if I ever need help, after all, I’m just gonna ask. It’s that easy.”

“Good, sounds easy enough.” For once, Cas looks somewhat relieved, but Dean is sure that he’s still nervous. 

When Charlie comes back, she begins by telling each of them their steps so that they get their own movements down before they dance with each other. Dean has no problem with it; his only struggle is watching Cas. He sure didn’t lie about being a crappy dancer. He seems to have no rhythm whatsoever, and his only talent is to get every other step wrong. By the end of their one hour lesson, he’s worse at it instead of better.

Charlie promises Cas that it’ll get better, and Cas does his best to seem enthusiastic, but Dean can tell that he doesn’t believe it. When they leave together, Dean reaches for Cas’ arm to get his attention. “You know, if you’re not feeling it, you can quit. No hard feelings.”

Cas shakes his head. “I intend to keep my promises.”

“So, I’ll see you next week?”

“Of course,” Cas says, sounding like they’re about to go into battle together, not some dance lessons. “Good night, Dean.”

“Night, Cas.”

Cas walks away, but Dean doesn’t turn around, he watches him till he turns the corner. Dean sure never met anybody like Cas.


	4. Chapter 4

Cas sure never met anybody like Dean. He’s foul-mouthed, sometimes insulting and once in a while, Cas wishes to strangle him, but at the same time, he makes Cas laugh a lot and always finds the right words to motivate him. Or at least he tries.

They had three more lessons, and although Charlie asked her girlfriend Dorothy to show Cas his steps, he doesn’t improve at all. Cas has no idea why he can’t do it. He knows what to do in his head, but his feet just do whatever the hell they want. It’s infuriating, but he doesn’t know what to do, and the deadline for Sam’s wedding doesn’t help. 

After another fruitless lesson, Castiel leaves together with Dean and decides to put a stop to this, even if he hates letting Dean down. “Dean, I don’t think I’ll come next week.”

“Sure, no problem if you miss out once.”

“No, I- I don’t want to keep wasting your time,” Castiel explains. “If you want me to, I can ask around to find you another partner. Somebody who actually knows what they’re doing.”

“Oh come on, you really want to quit on me?” Dean grunts and Castiel feels even more awful.

“I don’t want to, but your brother’s wedding is getting closer, and I’m no help at all. We haven’t even danced together yet, because I’m useless.”

Dean rolls his eyes and pushes himself past Castiel. “Push me!”

“What?”

“Push me. You know that little park next to the fire station?”

“Yes?”

“Let’s go there.”

Castiel pushes Dean although he has no idea what Dean wants. The second he starts walking, Dean grabs his phone and doesn’t look up from it, even when they enter the park. “To the fountain,” he mumbles, more to his phone than to Castiel.

“I think they turn it off in the evening, Dean.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m counting on,” Dean says and finally looks up when they reach the fountain. It doesn’t have a basin or statue. Instead, the water comes right out of the ground, and when it isn’t turned on, only colorful floor plates show where the fountain starts and the normal pavement begins. Dean waves his hand to indicate the area. “It’s perfect. Lots of flat surface.”

“Perfect for what?” Castiel asks, still clueless why Dean brought him here.

Dean pushes himself to a nearby bench and puts down his phone. A few seconds later Castiel can hear music coming from it, and Dean rolls up to him and holds out his hand. “May I ask for this dance?”

“Dean-,” Castiel makes a weak attempt to protest, but Dean won’t have it.

“You said it yourself; we never danced together. Maybe that’s the problem,” Dean suggests, and takes off his gloves before holding up both his hands. “Come on, don’t make me beg.”

There’s no way Castiel can say no, so he first takes a deep breath and then Dean’s hands. Dean counts down along with the beat of the music, and Castiel does the steps the way Dorothy showed him. He has to go backward first and pulls Dean along, then he steps aside and pushes, taking Dean with him. Usually, he’s messed up by now, but Dean takes one hand away so he can turn the wheelchair while Castiel raises his arm over Dean’s head and steps around him. 

With Dean in the mix, the steps make way more sense. He doesn’t run useless circles but makes room for Dean to move, or they assist each other. Castiel still messes up a few steps and has to correct where he goes on the fly, but whenever he meets up with Dean, it’s easy to get back into the routine. Castiel gets so comfortable with the movements that he begins to listen to the words of the song, not just the music. 

_You say baby it's impossible_  
Sometimes life will make you feel the fool  
I know I'll never meet anyone like you again  
And I miss my friend 

Castiel wonders why Dean picked that song. Is it just the music that fits their routine or does it mean more to him? The thought makes him take a wrong step, and he has to do a little jump to get out of Dean’s way, but instead of feeling embarrassed he laughs, and Dean joins in. It only takes a moment for them to start over and they keep dancing for a while when the song is already over. For the finish, Castiel turns Dean in a circle, and they both raise their hands like they finished a choreography in a dance competition. That’s nothing Dean will do at the wedding, but Charlie thought it was fun.

After a moment, Dean turns around to Castiel, both of them breathing a little heavier. “So… you gonna dance with me?” Dean asks, his eyes saying that he already knows the answer.

Castiel still nods. “Next week. Same time, same place.”

Dean grins and puts his gloves back on. “Can you grab my phone?”

“Sure.” Castiel retrieves the phone from the bench and walks over to Dean, who adjusts the fastener on his glove.

“Can you put it-?” Dean doesn’t finish the sentence. Castiel already slips the phone into Dean’s breast pocket. He saw Dean put it there so many times that it seemed the normal thing to do. Dean looks up at him with something in his eyes that Castiel can’t identify. He’s worried he might have overstepped, but then Dean smiles. “Thanks. Now let’s get out of here.”

Castiel follows Dean, a part of the song suddenly stuck in his head. ‘ _How do I get to Heaven? How do I get to you?_ ’ He must have slowed down because Dean looks back over his shoulder.

“You coming?”

“Of course,” Castiel says, and by the time he catches up to Dean, warmth begins to spread in his chest, and again, it has nothing to do with embarrassment.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean can’t remember the last time he’s been so nervous, and it annoys the hell out of him. It’s not like they’re going on a date. When the date of the wedding drew closer, it became clear to Dean that there was no reason for Cas to come to the dance lessons once the big day was over. In one moment, Dean’s brain short-circuited, and he asked Cas to grab something to eat to celebrate their successful dance training.

Now, Dean sits in his favorite burger joint, the ‘Roadhouse,’ and tries his best to keep his cool while he waits for Cas. Jo comes over and puts a bottle of beer down in front of him. “The usual?”

“Not yet, I’m waiting for someone.”

“Oh, is she pretty?” Jo coos.

“He; I’m waiting for a guy,” Dean clarifies, but Jo doesn’t care.

“Is _he_ pretty?”

“I- yes,” Dean stumbles, “I guess he’s attractive, but it’s not a date or anything.”

Jo looks him up and down and raises her eyebrow. “So you’re wearing your best shirt because…?”

Before Dean can answer, the little bell on top of the door rings, announcing a visitor. It’s Cas, who must have come straight from work since he’s wearing his suit and the trenchcoat Dean grew weirdly fond of. As usual, Cas’ tie is loose and even inside out, and the windy weather made him put up his collar and disheveled his hair. Cas looks around, and when he spots Dean, his whole face lights up, and he’s gifting Dean with one of his stunning smiles. It carries all the excuses Dean made for the invitation away and leaves him with the truth. He has a crush on Cas.

Jo snorts next to him. “Not a date. Sure.”

Fortunately for Dean, she walks away to take care of another guest and can’t hear them when Cas reaches the table. “Hello, Dean.”

“Hey, Cas.” Dean sounds way too excited for his own ears, but Cas just sits down and shrugs his coat off, not fazed at all.

“Sorry I’m late, my brother kept bothering me,” Cas explains. “But good news, you’re on the guest list of all his clubs now.”

“Wow, that’s awesome. Thank you.”

Cas nods, and before Dean can embarrass himself by gushing over how nice Cas is, Jo comes back. “Are we ready to order now?”

“Um, yeah, the usual for me,” Dean says, glancing over to Cas. “Their bacon cheeseburgers are the best you’ll ever eat.”

“Then let’s try one,” Cas says to Jo. “And a beer, please.”

Jo gives Dean a pointed look, but then she smiles and speaks in her usual customer service voice. “Good choice. Coming right up.”

“So,” Cas says, turning to Dean, “tell me about the wedding.”

Cas has no idea how grateful Dean is for the question. He feared things might get awkward if he has to come up with a topic other than “why are you so cute?”. Dean takes his time talking about everything that happened and proudly tells Cas how he managed to dance with Eileen without rolling over her dress. They keep talking while eating their burgers, and when Cas admits that it’s the best burger he ever had, Dean wishes the meal would never end.

After a while, they end up talking about their families, and when Cas mentions how his brother tried to sell him this huge car, Dean has an idea that might get him a little more time with Cas. “So, you have a license?”

“I don’t drive very often, but technically I’m allowed to do so. Why?”

Dean never told Cas how he even ended up in a wheelchair, and he’s not too keen to bring it up, but he’d rather do it now than let Cas disappear out of his life. “I’d say you paid your dues, but you could still do me a little favor if you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” Cas says, “whatever you need.”

 

* * *

 

Cas is not a spontaneous person, and usually, his instinct is to ask a ton of question before agreeing to anything, but where Dean is involved his brain stops working, and he just says yes. First the dancing, then the dinner, and now Cas follows Dean, not knowing where they’re even going. Dean only said that he’d have to show him since it would be easier than explaining everything.

They are not far from the ‘Roadhouse,’ and Dean leads Cas to a storage facility. They stop in front of the unit with the number 167 and Dean hands Cas a key to open it. Inside is a car, covered with a blanket and after Cas hands back the key, Dean nods at it. “Go on; you can take a look at her.”

“Her?” Cas asks, but he pulls back the blanket, revealing a shiny, black car.

“Cas, this is Baby,” Dean speaks with pride in his voice and comes closer to run his hand over the hood.

“It’s a beautiful car,” Cas says. He doesn’t know much about cars, but even he can see that much. Dean nods, but his face gains a seriousness that Cas has never seen on him before.

“I had an accident with her,” he explains. “That’s how I ended up in the wheelchair.”

Cas isn’t sure what to say. Dean probably heard all of it before, so he tries to focus on the car instead. “She doesn’t look like she’s been in an accident.”

Dean taps the hood and smiles. “Yeah, she was lucky. I know a guy, Benny, who owed me one, so he helped me restore her. Took three years, but now she’s as good as new.”

It begins to dawn on Cas why they are here, and he walks up next to Dean. “Is that why you asked me about my license?”

“You can totally say no, but I just wish I could at least sit in her again, even if somebody else drives,” Dean explains. “I asked Sam, but he refuses to go near the car. It reminds him too much of the time I had to spend in the hospital. It was a close call.”

Cas tries to imagine how he would feel if his brother almost died, and it makes sense that Sam would rather avoid the car. “And you? Don’t you think it might bring back bad memories?”

Dean shrugs. “To be honest, I don’t remember much about the accident, and it’s not like it was Baby’s fault. Sometimes, things just happen. You know, like a guy dropping a twenty in your coffee.”

“You will never let this go, will you?” Cas asks, and Dean grins.

“Never.”

Cas’ heart skips a beat when he imagines a future with Dean still in it. He wouldn’t mind being teased if it also means that this isn’t the last time they see each other. “I’ll do it under the condition that you don’t make fun of my driving.”

Dean’s eyes grow big. “Seriously? Sure, no jokes, I promise.”

He crosses his chest and reaches into his pocket to get the key. When he hands it to Cas, he looks like a little boy on Christmas morning. Dean wheels out of the way, and Cas gets into Baby. Her sound when he turns the key in the ignition is already intimidating, and Cas barely touches the gas pedal when he’s driving her out of the garage. Dean opens the door on the passenger side and pulls up as closely as possible. “I can get into the seat myself, but it’ll be easier if you get the wheelchair.”

“Of course,” Cas says, and jumps out of the car. He got so used to Dean taking care of himself that he didn’t even think about that. He puts the wheelchair in the trunk, and when he gets back into the car, Dean is fiddling with the radio.

“Where to?” Cas asks.

“I don’t really care, I just want to hear her purr,” Dean smiles, and runs a hand over the dashboard.

Cas just starts driving, and it’s a pleasure to watch Dean. At first, he looks outside, but then he leans back and closes his eyes, just taking in the sounds and the movement of the car. They keep going for over an hour, driving in somewhat of a circle and listening to music while the sun is setting, until Cas has an idea. He drives away from the city and up a hill that has a nice vantage point. Dean only opens his eyes when the car stops and looks around in wonder. “Where are we?”

“I like to come here when I need some peace,” Cas says, looking down at the city.

Dean leans forward to take in the view. “It’s nice; I wonder why I’ve never been here. Great spot for parking.”

He wiggles his eyebrows at Cas who wishes the butterflies in his stomach would give it a rest. “So how do you feel?”

“I…,” Dean falls back into the seat again and sighs. “I liked the drive, and I feel good. I just really miss driving her. I learned not to be bitter about my situation, but this…”

He shrugs, but Cas can tell how much it means to Dean. “Can’t you convert her so you can drive?”

Dean sighs. “It wouldn’t be cheap if it’s possible at all. And Benny already did so much; I can’t ask him to put more work into her.”

“I could help you,” Cas says, again without thinking, because it’s Dean and normal rules don’t apply.

Dean watches him with skepticism. “Do you know anything about cars?”

“No, but I also didn’t know anything about dancing, and we still did it,” Cas says. “I could learn how to fix a car for you, and then we’ll just make it up as we go.”

For a moment, Dean only stares at Cas, but then he lifts his hand and beckons him closer. “Do me a favor and get over here.”

Cas is not sure what Dean wants but leans over to him, and Dean rolls his eyes and sighs. “Look, buddy, if you want me to kiss you, you have to come a lot closer than this.”

The butterflies in Cas’ stomach take flight and carry him over to Dean, who closes the gap between them to kiss Cas. It’s warm and soft and Cas thanks his chaotic brain for making him walk over to Dean and throw that bill in his coffee. When they part, Dean keeps looking at him as if he’s not sure that it was okay to kiss him, so Cas blurts out his thought. “Coffee?”

Dean laughs and nods with a smile. “Sure, I mean, you’re paying, right?”

“Does that mean that I will always have to pay for coffee in the future?”

“Yes,” Dean says, his smile even brighter. “I’d like that very much.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Aw, that’s such a good story.” Eileen hung on Cas’ every word and looks like she’s about to melt into a puddle.

Sam grunts next to her, “They haven’t heard ours yet.”

Eileen smiles and pats his arm, and Cas pushes his chair away from the table. “I’m sure it’s great, but it has to wait till next time. Dean and I should be going.”

After two slices of pie and with Cas’ deep voice rumbling next to him, Dean disappeared into a blissful haze he only now comes out of when he hears his name. “Sure, let’s get going.”

They say their goodbyes to Sam and Eileen, and out on the street Dean takes advantage of Cas’ company and lets Cas push him. He rarely does so, and not many people are allowed to do it at all, but it’s late, he has a full belly, and his thoughts are still with the story. It’s been three years since Cas dropped that bill into his coffee and it still amazes him how that turned out. He loves Cas with all his heart, and each day he has the luxury to feel Cas’ love for him. 

Dean is so caught up in this blissful little bubble that he only now realizes that Cas is taking an impossible route to their apartment. “Where are you going?”

“We have to make a little detour,” Cas explains.

“To where?” Dean looks around and recognizes the street. Charlie’s old dance studio is here where they first danced together. “What did you do?”

Cas pushes him up to the door and smiles. “Just a little anniversary surprise.”

“Didn’t we say no gifts?”

“It’s a surprise,” Cas says when they get inside. “Technically, that’s not a gift.”

Dean laughs. “You sneaky bastard.”

Cas doesn’t answer, but only pushes him to their old training room and tells him to close his eyes. When they’re inside, he walks away from Dean for a moment, and a few seconds later, music starts playing. It’s the song to which they danced together for the first time in the park. “May I ask for this dance?”

When Dean opens his eyes, Cas is standing in front of him and offers him his hand. Dean takes it and looks at their surroundings. The building has been empty for a while, but Cas put up a ton of small lights all around the room, and with its purple paint it gives off such a warm atmosphere that Dean feels like he fell asleep and is dreaming now. Cas reaches for his other hand, and they move to the music, using the same routine they learned back then. Dean enjoys every second of it, and when the music changes to another song, he wishes he could jump up and throw his arms around Cas. Instead, he tugs at his shirt. “Come down here, you sap,” he says and kisses Cas. “Thank you, that was a great surprise.”

Cas smiles. “I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate you and our time together. You are such a kind-hearted, intelligent, and cheerful person. You make it so easy for me to love you. I love dancing with you and our burger and coffee dates, and you’re my favorite person to argue with.”

Dean doesn’t know what brings this love confession out of Cas, and he’s not good at receiving compliments, but since it’s their anniversary, Dean lets the nice words wash over him. He can always do something nice for Cas in return. Especially since Cas isn’t done yet. “I can’t imagine a life without you, and if you let me, I will buy you all of your cups of coffee for the rest your life.”

Cas goes down on one knee, something he often does when he wants to be on eye level with Dean. It’s nothing special, but usually, he doesn’t get a small box out of his pocket and looks at Dean as if the world only turns around him. “Dean-,” Cas begins, and when he opens the box, Dean can see a simple, golden ring.

From one second to the other, Dean’s body goes into overdrive. His heart beats faster, he gasps for air, and he even starts shaking. “Cas, I- I…, oh god…,” Dean stumbles, but Cas simply keeps on smiling.

“I love you, Dean. Will you marry me?”

The tension leaves Dean’s body and joy swells up in him so overwhelming that he can barely take it. He smiles and does his best to get his voice to work. “Oh hell yeah.”

Cas slips the ring on his finger, and Dean uses their closeness to cradle Cas’ face in his hands and draw him in for a long kiss. When they part, he keeps staring at Cas, mesmerized by how happy he looks, but then a hilarious thought pops into his head. “Cas?”

“Hm?”

“You know, you missed a golden opportunity here. You could have asked ‘wheel’ you marry me.”

Cas bursts out laughing, but then he falls back on his ass and buries his face in his hands. “Oh god, why did I ask you at all?”

“Hey,” Dean protests and he holds on to his hand like he needs to protect the ring. “No take backs.”

“It’s alright.” Cas gets back to his knees and forms a little nest on Dean’s lap with his arms so he can rest his head there. “You can keep it. I’m glad you said yes.”

Dean runs his hand through Cas’ hair, watching as it brushes along the ring. “What can I say, I only want to be with you, somehow.”


End file.
